Author Archives: Dr. Fred P.M. van der Kraaij

Liberia revisited (2)

Posted on 2 May 2012 by Dr. Fred P.M. van der Kraaij

Monrovia, Wednesday May 2 To be back in Monrovia after 32 years is a great experience and a strange feeling. Much looks the same, yet is different. The sight of people walking in the streets is not much different from … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil War(s) Liberia, Cuttington University, Liberia, Liberia Education, Mary Broh, Monrovia, University of Liberia | Comments Off on Liberia revisited (2)

Liberia revisited (1)

Posted on 30 April 2012 by Dr. Fred P.M. van der Kraaij

Monrovia – Sunday, April 29 Today is a very special day: after 32 years I again set foot on Liberian soil! With my wife and two-year old son I left the country in the aftermath of the bloody 1980 coup … Continue reading →

Posted in EJ Roye, Famous Liberians, Liberia, Liberian Demography, Liberian History, Samuel Kanyon Doe, William R. Tolbert Jr. | Comments Off on Liberia revisited (1)

The conviction of Charles Taylor: A victory for justice – not an end to impunity

Posted on 28 April 2012 by Dr. Fred P.M. van der Kraaij

The Hague – The Netherlands, April 26 2012: Five years after the beginning of the ‘Taylor trial’ and after having heard nearly 100 witnesses, the judges of the Special Court for Sierra Leone  announced their historic decision: the former Liberian … Continue reading →

Posted in Liberia | Comments Off on The conviction of Charles Taylor: A victory for justice – not an end to impunity

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf sworn in for a second term

Posted on 18 January 2012 by Dr. Fred P.M. van der Kraaij

Monrovia, Liberia. January 16, 2012 was neither a day to look back with regret or anger nor to look forward with anxiety or doubt. Rather it was a day to rejoice and celebrate. At 11:00 am President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Charles Taylor, Civil War(s) Liberia, Debt relief, Elections in Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, George Weah, Joseph Boakai, Liberia, Liberian History, Nobel Peace Prize, Samuel Kanyon Doe, William R. Tolbert Jr., William V.S. Tubman, Winston Tubman | Comments Off on President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf sworn in for a second term

Africa’s Winners and Losers in 2011

Posted on 22 December 2011 by Dr. Fred P.M. van der Kraaij

It’s been an extra-ordinary year for Africa. The biggest losers were the North African leaders Ben Ali (Tunisia), Mubarak (Egypt) and Gaddafi (Libya). All three clung to power. Mubarak and Ben Ali had ruled some 30 years, Gaddafi even more than 40 … Continue reading →

Posted in 'Mo' Ibrahim, African Politics, Aliko Dangote, Arab Revolution, Ben Ali, Benin, Cameroon, Cape Verde, CAR, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Djibouti, DRC, Egypt, Elections in Africa, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Fatou Bensouda, François Bozizé, Gaddafi, Goodluck Jonathan, Guelleh, Hissein Habré, Hosmi Mubarak, Idriss Deby, Ivory Coast, James Michel, Jammeh, Jospeh Kabila, Lamido Sanusi, Leymah Gbowee, Libya, Madagascar, Museveni, Niger, Nigeria, Paul Biya, Pedro Pires, Robert Mugabe, Sao Tomé and Principe, Sata, Seychelles, The Gambia, Tshisekedi, Tunisia, Uganda, Yayi Boni, Zambia, Zimbabwe | Comments Off on Africa’s Winners and Losers in 2011

A bittersweet victory for President Sirleaf

Posted on 10 November 2011 by Dr. Fred P.M. van der Kraaij

Last month, in October, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf had every reason to be happy and optimistic about the future. On October 7, she was awarded the prestigious 2011 Nobel Peace prize, together with Leymah Bowee and Tawakul Karman. On October … Continue reading →

Posted in Charles Brumskine, Elections in Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, George Weah, James Fromoyan, Joseph Boakai, Liberia, Moses Blah, National Elections Commission (NEC), Nobel Peace Prize, Prince Y. Johnson, Progressive Alliance of Liberia (PAL), Samuel Kanyon Doe, Tipoteh, Winston Tubman | Comments Off on A bittersweet victory for President Sirleaf

Elections in Liberia: The Long Walk To Democracy in Africa’s Oldest Republic

Posted on 29 September 2011 by Dr. Fred P.M. van der Kraaij

On October 11 presidential and legislative elections will be held in Liberia. Incumbent President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf faces 15 presidential aspirants who share one goal: unseat Africa’s first democratically elected female president. Liberia’s Iron Lady, however, is with her 72 … Continue reading →

Posted in ArcelorMittal, Charles Brumskine, Charles Taylor, Civil War(s) Liberia, Dew Mayson, Elections in Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, George Weah, Gus Kouwenhoven, Guus Kouwenhoven, James Fromoyan, Liberia, Liberian Economy, national budget, National Elections Commission (NEC), Prince Y. Johnson, Samuel Kanyon Doe, Tipoteh, Truth and Reconciliation Committee (TRC), William V.S. Tubman, Winston Tubman | Comments Off on Elections in Liberia: The Long Walk To Democracy in Africa’s Oldest Republic

Gaddafi and Liberia (Part 1 – revised version)

Posted on 22 August 2011 by Dr. Fred P.M. van der Kraaij

Gaddafi’s political end is near – it even may be a fact by the time I finish this post. But predicting political developments is risky, it is much safer to look back. I can’t help it: I look at the … Continue reading →

Posted in Arab Revolution, Charles Taylor, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Gaddafi, Liberia, Mano River Union (MRU), Samuel Kanyon Doe, Thomas Weh-Syen, William R. Tolbert Jr., William V.S. Tubman | Comments Off on Gaddafi and Liberia (Part 1 – revised version)

26 July: A historic day to remember

Posted on 26 July 2011 by Dr. Fred P.M. van der Kraaij

For three reasons 26 July is a historic day and that’s today’s topic of this blog. First, Liberia. In July 1847 a Constitutional Convention convened in Monrovia which at that time had approximately 1,000 inhabitants. The towns of Monrovia, New … Continue reading →

Posted in 'July 26', Liberia, Liberian History | Comments Off on 26 July: A historic day to remember

Two powerful women: Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Posted on 7 July 2011 by Dr. Fred P.M. van der Kraaij

Liberia and Nigeria are very different but there is one important exception:  in both countries a woman plays a key role in national politics. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first elected female president,  does not need any introduction to the regular readers … Continue reading →

Posted in African Politics, Debt relief, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Famous Liberians, Liberia, Nigeria, Paris Club | Comments Off on Two powerful women: Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala